U.S. investigators have sanctioned Boeing for sharing information about a federal investigation into the bursting of a door cap that left a gaping hole in a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that Boeing “flagrantly violated” the agency’s investigative rules and a signed settlement by providing nonpublic investigative information to the media and speculating about what caused a plane’s tailgate to explode in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5.
During the incident, a panel blocking an emergency door gap exploded on an Alaska Airlines Max 9. The pilots were able to land safely and there were no injuries.
The NTSB said a Boeing executive provided the media with non-public investigative information about the Alaska Airlines incident that the agency had not verified or authorized for release Tuesday, during a briefing press.
The agency said Boeing presented its investigation as a search to find the person responsible for the cap holders’ work. The NTSB corrected the situation, saying it was focusing on the probable cause of the accident, without blaming anyone or assessing liability.
Boeing said in a statement Thursday that it deeply regretted that some of the statements made at the news conference exceeded the NTSB’s role as a source of investigative information.
“We apologize to the NTSB and are prepared to answer any questions you may have as the agency continues its investigation,” the aircraft manufacturer said.
Shares of Arlington, Va.-based Boeing were up more than 2% Thursday morning.
The NTSB said that, given its recent actions, Boeing would not have access to investigative information produced by the agency on the Alaska Airlines incident, but would retain its status as a participant in the investigation due to the expertise of its employees.
The safety agency is unable to fine Boeing because it does not have that power.
The NTSB said it could subpoena any relevant documents it needs to produce during the investigation. It will also subpoena Boeing to appear at an investigative hearing in Washington on Aug. 6-7. The agency said that, unlike other parties, Boeing will not be able to question other participants.
The NTSB will coordinate with the Department of Justice’s Fraud Division, providing them with information regarding Boeing’s recent unauthorized disclosures of investigative information related to the investigation.